Day 14: We the People of India

We visited another local school run by an NGO/charity organization. Although there are other schools begun with philanthropic goals, this one made a particular impact on me and (I think) my colleagues. The school is called RBANM; a partial acronym for the name of the founder of the charities, Dharmarathnakara Rai Bahadur Arcot Narrainsawmy Mudaliar. Mudaliar was an Indian businessman who held his wealth as a trust for the future of Bangalore. Impacted by the prevailing social conditions that severely restricted education and social integration for children from lower caste and poor families, and for girls. The school was founded to provide education and basic needs for the Dalit caste (the lowest caste in the Indian caste system; often referred to as the ‘untouchables’ ) and for Hindu girls who were excluded and segregated from the education system. The school was established in 1870, before Indian independence and identifies with/ advocates for democratic socialist values as stated in the preamble to the Indian constitution which states:

 “We, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, 

having solemnly resolved to constitute 

India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR 

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 

and to secure to all its citizens:

 JUSTICE, Social, Economic and Political; 

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; 

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

 and to promote among them all; 

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual 

and the unity and integrity of the Nation; 

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY 

this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, 

do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT 

AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION”.  

It is important to note that this preamble is also printed on the school uniform shirts worn by all the students; a reminder of the social justice goals of the school as espoused by its founder. 

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a line up of students and staff welcoming us to the school with handshakes and gorgeous yellow flowers. We were ushered towards the assembly area where the whole school was gathered in an open space. The assembly began with a short period of meditation (students were asked to close their eyes and breathe in and out following teacher prompts), then there was a recitation of the English version of a Hindu prayer.  We were treated to masala tea/coffee and biscuits; a staple of Indian hospitality I have come to find out, and some students performed a skit showcasing the story of the Hindu god Arjuna and his prowess as a great archer. The skit relays a moral/lesson that encourages students to have a deep respect for the teacher/guru, and for students to have a desire to learn from their teacher/guru. 

This attribute of morals and life lessons embedded in Hindu myths and stories is an enduring feature of the India I have experienced. I noticed this during our time in Chennai, where our host teacher, Kritika, told us many stories about Hindu mythology that made connections with the natural world or provided an explanation for why things are, or that taught a moral to guide an individual's behavior and understanding of their connection with others. I find this very intriguing because educators and the culture I witnessed, use these stories to reinforce Hindu/Indian identity and to teach lessons. The embedding of cultural values has been consistent and strong and I suppose that is what makes the education of a place unique to that place. It also implies the communal support given to educational institutions to use these cultural/religious artifacts/stories in nurturing the idea of an Indian citizen. I cannot help but to draw parallels with the education philosophy in America where parents and community stakeholders are given the opportunity to weigh in on educational policy and goals, but I think this is accomplished in a more overt and direct manner where community members are invited to peruse syllabi or teaching materials to be used in schools. I wonder if this is the case in India, or if approval is implicit.

We got to observe a few classes and engage with the students who asked us questions about our favorite Indian foods, where we were from and taught us how to say a few words in the local language, Kannada. We observed Art classes held outdoors and watched as 1 teacher guided a class in drawing turtles and birds using colored pencils and pastels, while another teacher let children create animals (turtles, frogs, snakes) using clay. As an Early Childhood advocate with a strong affinity to nature, it appealed to me that the lessons were outside, students engaged in the sensory experience of molding a natural resource with their hands, creating animals that they might have personally experienced as opposed to unfamiliar models. They were allowed to do this independently, allowing for differentiated instruction as the teacher provided help individually and as needed. The students also got to work with my fellow Fulbrighter, Jennifer, an Art teacher from California, who’s heart was bursting with joy at being able to participate in the lesson 😀. The students eagerly brought their creations to her and she generously complimented and engaged with all of them as they joyfully worked together.  

We were invited to explore the Art program at the school, which is an independent program sponsored by external donors. The art teachers encouraged student agency, projects that symbolized the school goals of inclusion, equity and social justice, and a connection to their lived experiences through projects that include individualized clay sculptures, a school calendar project using students as the models, and inviting artists from all over India to co-create artifacts like a stained glass light box made from recycled materials. The calendar project is most notable because the art teachers made a conscious decision to feature students with darker-skin tones to combat attitudes of colorism in the Indian community. There were also full-length photo frames of students (darker-colored skin tones) portraying strong women of character.  This quality that schools have/can have to foster and nurture social change and cultural revolutions is a throughline that exists across time and oceans. Schools in the United States have been pivotal in effecting change either as designated by a recognized authority (Ruby Bridges comes to mind), or organically blooming from student bodies (student protests on various social justice issues are relevant here). In all cases, the youth participate in social structures that they may not have created and the systems of support that they receive determines the trajectory of their experiences and (dare I say) the nation as well. 

Our last group excursion was a walking tour of Bangalore. We were led by the very knowledgeable Arun Pai, a corporate engineer turned storyteller, who regaled us with stories of India at large, and Bangalore specifically. We learned about the significance and ubiquity of Hindu shrines (there was one located on the hotel grounds, unbeknownst to us), the interplay of global events that connected the American revolutionary war with the British colonization of India, how Bangalore has the oldest golf course in the world (outside of the British Isles, and the significance of a small, nondescript building (the Coffee Board of India) on coffee production and exports (India is the 3rd largest Asian country to produce and export coffee). We learned about the Visvesvaraya industrial and technological museum which houses India’s first jet plane, a steam engine train and other scientific artifacts. We explored the government museum next door and then Cubbon park with it’s beautiful array of trees and greenery. We were surprised to know that a great number of the trees in the park were transplants from other regions of the world, including Australia and Africa. The fact that the trees, indigenous to other climates, thrived in Bangalore was quite marvelous. To end our walk, we made our way to the Vidhana Soudha building, which is the seat of the Indian legislature and an expansive structure to behold. 

Our guide, Arun, was quite the storyteller and shared, not just information about the physical systems and structures of Bangalore, but the intangible, cultural beliefs and practices of Bangalorians. For instance, we were schooled in the art of crossing the road; in case you are unaware, traffic in India can be quite chaotic. The combined presence and sheer dominance of cars, motorbikes and Rickshaws produces a tangle of cars attempting to travel as quickly as possible and to maneuver into the tightest spaces conceivable. The constant honking is also a language and system to behold. Honking is a form of communication understood by the honkers and the honkees. Drivers honk for various reasons, including: to indicate their intentions to claim a small sliver of space on the road, to admonish another driver who took the coveted sliver of space, to let pedestrians know their place on the road, to negotiate who goes first and sometimes to warn other drivers before brazenly crossing the entire width of a 2-lane road to get to the other side. Armed with these experiences, Arun explained to us that crossing the road required a negotiation between the vehicles and the pedestrians. You must cross as a group whenever possible, and you make eye-contact with the on-coming vehicle(s) to establish your undeterred intention, and then walk (never run) to your desired destination on the other side of the road. On our first attempt we were not successful due to timing, but by the second attempt, our little gaggle of teachers successfully negotiated our way to the other side of the road. 

Additionally, on our walk to the Visvesvaraya museum, some in our party excitedly pointed out that there were monkeys swinging from trees above us (did I mention that there are luscious, beautiful trees everywhere in Bangalore?). Arun asked a street vendor close to the monkey to offer it some food, which he did. Arun then explained that Indian perspectives include an awareness and respect of the connection between animals/nature and humans, and that connection is manifested by the freedom given to monkeys, dogs and cows to freely roam the streets. This idea of interconnectedness gave me aptly concluded this overview of Bangalore as a vibrant city rich with a history that both reflects the past and serves as a foundation for the future.